Temple University Athletics
AAC Announces 2021 Preseason Football Media Poll
8.4.21 | Football
PHILADELPHIA - The American Athletic Conference announced today the 2021 football preseason media poll. Temple comes in at the 10th spot in the conference to start the season.
Temple enters the season after a disappointing 2020 season. Due to COVID-19 and an injury-riddled season, the Owls had 22 players make their first-ever collegiate start last season, the fourth-most in the nation. The departures of single-digit players Branden Mack and Dan Archibong to the NFL give current single-digits Jadan Blue, Randle Jones, William Kwenkeu, and Amir Tyler an opportunity to lead a team with a host of fresh faces.
Incoming transfers Amad Anderson Jr. (Purdue), Ra'Von Bonner (Illinois), Iverson Clement (Florida), Xach Gill (North Carolina), Jerquavion Mahone (Kentucky), D'Wan Mathis (Georgia), Willie Rodgers (Washington State), Cameron Ruiz (Northwestern), and Lancine Turay (North Carolina) all join the program from Power 5 schools while cornerback Keyshawn Paul comes back into the AAC from UConn.
This season, Luke Fickell's Cincinnati Bearcats take the top spot with 262 points, receiving 22 first-place votes. This marks the first time in the past four seasons that the top honor has not gone to UCF. Instead, the Golden Knights are billed as the second-best team in the conference, receiving the only other first-place votes (2).
The favorite in the American Athletic Conference preseason media poll has ended up winning the conference twice in the league's first eight seasons [Cincinnati, 2014 (three-way tie); UCF, 2018].
UCF is the only team in the conference this year with a new man at the helm. Former Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn takes the reigns for the Golden Knights.
Temple enters the season after a disappointing 2020 season. Due to COVID-19 and an injury-riddled season, the Owls had 22 players make their first-ever collegiate start last season, the fourth-most in the nation. The departures of single-digit players Branden Mack and Dan Archibong to the NFL give current single-digits Jadan Blue, Randle Jones, William Kwenkeu, and Amir Tyler an opportunity to lead a team with a host of fresh faces.
Incoming transfers Amad Anderson Jr. (Purdue), Ra'Von Bonner (Illinois), Iverson Clement (Florida), Xach Gill (North Carolina), Jerquavion Mahone (Kentucky), D'Wan Mathis (Georgia), Willie Rodgers (Washington State), Cameron Ruiz (Northwestern), and Lancine Turay (North Carolina) all join the program from Power 5 schools while cornerback Keyshawn Paul comes back into the AAC from UConn.
This season, Luke Fickell's Cincinnati Bearcats take the top spot with 262 points, receiving 22 first-place votes. This marks the first time in the past four seasons that the top honor has not gone to UCF. Instead, the Golden Knights are billed as the second-best team in the conference, receiving the only other first-place votes (2).
The favorite in the American Athletic Conference preseason media poll has ended up winning the conference twice in the league's first eight seasons [Cincinnati, 2014 (three-way tie); UCF, 2018].
UCF is the only team in the conference this year with a new man at the helm. Former Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn takes the reigns for the Golden Knights.
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